“Saturnalia of Blood” – May 12th, 1864, Spotsylvania

The morning of May 12th, 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House had begun with such promise. An early dawn attack upon the Army of Northern Virginia works that composed what was dubbed the “Mule Shoe” looked to be succeeding. By the end of the day, it would bear another name that echoes through the horrors of…

36th Massachusetts in the Wilderness – Francis Knowles

“August 6th, 1862, being enrolled as a member of the ‘Warren Phalanx’ at the age of 19 years, 4 months, and 28 days”, Francis W. Knowles began his new career as a soldier with the 36th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. On August 11th, they traveled by rail to Camp Wool, in Worchester. For a couple of…

Savage in its Character – Wilderness, early May 6th 1864

May 5th, 1864 had ended in a bloody and twisted mess in the area called The Wilderness in central Virginia. In the battle that initiated the Overland Campaign, we’ve got the two most famous generals of the Civil War going up against one another for the first time. On the Federal side, we’ve got Ulysses…

Ambrose Burnside and the Mud March

Morale was not looking good for the Union Army in the winter of 1862/83. Burnside’s failed attempt to cross the Rappahannock and the disaster upon Maryes Heights gave little hope to the folks back home – and in Washington. Even though Burnside’s debacle had nearly destroyed his reputation as a capable leader, he wanted to…

Fredericksburg – A Crucible of Valor

Within the Civil War era exists a certain preconceived image of how wars were fought and how soldiers behaved. There’s this idea of valiant heroism. Who else would have been brave enough to charge across an open field into a storm of bullets? It was a different time, but the mindset of the soldier –…